Machine



4 Sheets"-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

G. A. HARDY.

LEATHER FINISHING MACHINE.

Patented May 12, 1885.

- lnvezflor emyevzflanly N. PEIERS, Photo-Ulhogmpher, Washlngkm, D. C.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. A, HARDY.

LEATHER FINISHING MACHINE. No. 317.770. Patented May 12, 1885.

Juvenior 6 6029% olflaraz y.

N. PEIERS, mmmhn n m. Wnhington. 11c.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. G. A. HARDY.

LEATHER FINISHING MACHINE.

Patented Ma 12 Q. I

N. PETERS, Phulo-lhhognpher, Waihinglcn. D.C.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Modl.)

G. A. HARDY.

LEATHER FINISHING MACHINE.

317,'770. Patented May 12, 1885.

eoqye e/lJfanQi k r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE ALBERT HARDY, OF OLD LENTON, ENGLAND.

LEATHER-FINISHING MACHINE.

SPFCIPICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No.3l7,770, dated May 12, 1885.

Application filed February 5, 1885. (No modeLl Patented in England May 10, 1884, No. 7,530.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE ALBERT HARDY, leather-dresser, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of Old Lenton,

England, have invented a new and useful Improved Finishing-Machine for Leather, (for which I have applied for provisional protection in Great Britain, No. 7,530, bearing date May 10, 1884,) of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Figures 1 and 1 show two half-plans of one of my improved finishing-machines Fig. 2, a view at the left end Figs. 1 and 3 to 9 show portions of the machine severally referred to hereinafter.

The corresponding parts in each figure are indicated by the same letters where necessary. Each machine consists of the following parts: Two end standards, A, connected by tie-rods, or by a horizontal connecting-bar, A, which supports a vertical connecting-bar, A as shown in Fig. 1. The standards form hearings or have bearings secured to them for five revolving shafts. The lower or driving shaft carries driving-pulleys at the right end. The left end has a toothed wheel, B, secured on it, the upper edge of which gears into a toothed wheel, B, which runs loose on the end of a shaft which carries five or more bosses, B", the number increasing with the width of the machine. These bosses have radiating inclined arms, the arms of the bosses to the right being reversely inclined to those attheleft. To these bosses reversely helicallycoiled sharp-edged knives B" are secured. A left-side View of one of the bosses for the left end of the machine is shown at Fig. 3; or instead of such bosses I employ bosses having their radiating arms at a more acute angle, as shown in side view at Fig. 4: and an edge view at Fig. 5, which shows portion of a knife in position, being held securely to the arm by a screw-bolt and nut.

The left side of the toothed wheel 13 is provided with a clutch-boss, in which a similar clutch-boss, B, (which slides upon a key secured to the knife-shaft,) engages when thrown into gear by a rocking lever, 13", actuated by the attendant, which enables him to stop the revolution of the knives at will without stopping the machine.

At the back of the knife-shaft are two india-rubber covered rollers, 0, each provided at its left end with a toothed wheel, which gearing into each other cause them to revolve simultaneously, being driven by a toothed roller, 0, revolves in fixed bearings in the standards, and the upper roller revolves at each end in a bearing, 0 which slides vertically in the slotted upper part of the standard, which is provided with a cap, D, which projects at the back and forms a bracket, the upper end of which is hinged to the back end of a lever, D, which is clipped by the upper end of a vertical rod passed through a hole in the cap and attached at its lower end to the bearing 0". The front end of the lever D is hinged to the upper end of a link, having its lower end secured to a lever, D, the back end of which rocks on a stud in the lower part of the standard. The levers D" are connected by a foot board or plate, D, by which the attendant is enabled to press the upper rubber-covered roller, 0, toward the lower one, so as to insure the skin or hide operated upon being slowly passed between them. Upon the attendant removing his foot from the board a helically-coiled spring, E, on each vertical rod expands and presses up the levers D, thereby raising the top roller, 0, three or four inches above-the lower roller, to enable the attendant to place the neck end or other portion of a skin or hide between them previous to causing the knives to revolve.

To protect the hands of the attendant from the action of the revolving knives, the machine is provided with a guard-board, F, in front of the knives and above a receivingboard, F. The guard-board is carried by a bar the ends of which slide vertically-in grooves secured inside the standards. The ends of the bar are connected by links 13 to the levers D, before named. The board F is held by. metal strips secured to the standards. The guard-board rises at the same time as the foot-board and upper roller, 0, thus affording room to enable the attendant to place a skin or hide over the knives while they are at rest. A sectional view of the guard-board bar and receiving-board is shown at Fig. 8.

Behind the rollers 0 there is a facing-roller, G, (shown in end View atFig. 9,) covered with emery-powder. This roller is revolved by a toothed wheel, G, .secured on the left end of its axle, gearing into the toothed wheel B on the knife-shaft. The several-shafts revolve in the direction indicated by the arrows at Fig. 1.

The operation of the machine is as follows: While the upper roller 0 I and the, guardboard are in the raisedposit-ion the attendant at the front of the machine spreads a skin or hide on the receiving-board, passes por tion of it under the guard-board and over the stationary knives onto the lowerroller 0. He

then depresses the board or plate D with .hisfoot, causing the upper roller. 0 to descend and grip the skin or hide between it andthelower roller. The revolution of these rollers gradually draws the skin or hide over the revolving knives toward. an attendant at the back ofthe machine, who holds the skin or-hide close to the revolving emery-covered roller until the whole skin is passed through the machine. The knife-shaft is then thrown out of gear or the machine is stopped; the up- .per roller 0 and the guard board are again .raised and a fresh skin is placed in position and the operation .is repeated.

13y a machine constructed and operating as above described I am enabled at one operation to thoroughly ground and soften chamois, kid, and other leathers.

-What I claim is- 1. In a leather-dressing machine, the combination of a revolving shaftprovidedwith knives, two rollers in rear of the knife-shaft for drawing the leather over the knives, and afacing-roller fordressing, the leather as it leaves the clrawingmollers, substantially as described.

2. In a leather-dressing machine, the combination of a revolving shaft provided-with knives, two rollersin 'rearof the knife-shaft for drawingthe leather over the knives, levers connected with :theupper drawingroller for moving it toward the lower roller for clamping the leather, and a facing-roller for finishing the leather as it leaves the drawing-rollers, substantially asdescribed.

3. Ina leather-dressing machine, the combination of a revolving-shaftprovided with knives, two rollers in rear of the knife-shaft for. drawing the leather over the knives, vertically-movable bearings for the upper drawing-roller, pivoted levers connected with said bearings, treadle mechanism connected by rods with the pivoted levers for depressing the upper drawing-roller to clamp the leather, and a facing-roller for dressing the leather as it leaves the drawing-rollers, substantially as carrying the upper drawing-roller, pivoted levers D for de ressin the-bearin s and P a a springsacting onsaid levers to elevate the same, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the revolving shaft provided with knives, the two rollers in rear of the knife-shaft for drawing the leather over the knives, the vertically-movable bearings carrying the upper drawing-roller, the pivoted levers D, acting on the bearings to depress the upper roller, the springs for elevating the levers, and the board or treadle D connected with the pivoted levers, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the revolving shaft provided with knives, the two rollers in rear of the knife-shaft for drawing the leather over the knives, the vertically-movable bearings carrying the upper drawing-roller, the'pivoted levers D for depressing the bearings, the springs for elevating thelevers, and the guardboard arranged in front of the knife-shaft and connected-with the pivoted levers, substan tially as described.

8..The combination of the knife-shaft, the drawing-rollers .in rear thereof, the guardboard in front of the knifeshaft, the movable bearings carrying the upper drawing-roller,

and levers acting on the bearings and the guard --board to simultaneously depress the said board and the upperdrawing-roller, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed myname in the-presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- GEORGE ALBERT HARDY.

Witnesses:

H. W. GoUeH, 0.13., J. H. GOUGH. 

